Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Painted Table Makeover

Hope everyone survived their Mondays! Today I want to share a little makeover project that makes me especially happy. I'm sure I've said this before, but I love the idea of giving something old, new life. I am a firm believer in recycling, up-cycling and re-vamping. This little table has been in my family home for years and years. I am most fond of this little table, but so used to seeing my dad's typewriter sitting on top, that I almost didn't know where it belonged in my current home. It has sat a bit dusty for a few years, and just recently I decided that it deserved a refresh. I didn't want to completely change it, for sentimental reasons, but knew that a splash of color would bring back its happy.

Here's what I used:

Black spray paint

Sandpaper

Colorful acrylic paints

1" wide paint brush

Paint chipper

Soft spunge

Painter's tape

Waterproof sealant

Here's how I did it:

I started by flipping the table over, and touching up the legs with a matte black spray paint.

Next, I scraped off some gunk (gum, and other things us kiddos left behind back in the day) using a paint chipper

Once 'de-gunked', I sanded the table top with a course grain sand paper until the original wood was showing through.

I wiped down the top with a slightly damp sponge, to remove any wood dust. Allow to dry before taping.

Using painter's tape, I taped off a diamond shaped design starting from the outside and working my way in. After the design was taped off, I made sure to smooth the tape down firmly to the surface of the tabletop before I began painting.

I started painting from the inside of the diamond design to the outside, to avoid smudging. Each section needed about 4 total coats of paint to create a bold design, without the original wood showing through.

I allowed the design to dry for a few days before applying two coats of waterproof sealant. I used a deck sealant with a matte finish.

This project is probably one of my very favorite to date. I could't be happier with how it turned out!